نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
1 استاد گروه حقوق خصوصی، دانشکدۀ حقوق دانشگاه علوم قضایی تهران، ایران
2 دانشجوی دکتری حقوق خصوصی، دانشکدۀ حقوق دانشگاه علوم قضایی تهران، ایران.
چکیده
با افزایش روزافزون حوادث رانندگی، تفکیک میان زیاندیدگان و محروم ساختن رانندۀ مسبب حادثه از حمایتهای قانونی، از منظر عدالت اجتماعی و توزیعی، منطقی بهنظر نمیرسد. از همین رو، بند (ب) مادۀ ۱۱۵ قانون برنامۀ پنجسالۀ پنجم توسعه مصوب 1389[1] برای نخستینبار پوشش بیمهای رانندۀ مسبب حادثه را به رسمیت شناخت و مورد حمایت قرار داد. در ادامه، قانون بیمۀ اجباری خسارات واردشده به شخص ثالث براثر حوادث ناشی از وسایل نقلیه مصوب ۱۳۹۵، بیمۀ حوادث راننده را بهصورت الزامی برقرار کرد. نظام جبران خسارت راننده مسبب حادثه بر پایۀ مصالح منطقی، اجتماعی و اقتصادی بنا شده است. بااینحال، تفسیر موسّع یا مضیّق از دامنۀ مسئولیت بیمهگر در قبال رانندۀ مسبب حادثه، میتواند امنیت حقوقی و تعادل مالی این نهاد حمایتی را مختل سازد و کارایی صنعت بیمه را کاهش دهد. پرسش اصلی مقاله آن است که دامنۀ مسئولیت بیمهگر در قبال خسارات بدنی رانندۀ مسبب حادثه تا چه اندازه است؟ این پژوهش با تحلیل آرای قضایی نتیجه میگیرد که هدف قانون بیمۀ اجباری ۱۳۹۵، جبران خسارت رانندۀ مسبب حادثه بهعنوان زیاندیده و تقویت نظام حمایتی جمعی است.
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
The Challenges of Compensation of Faulting Drivers with Emphasis on Judicial Judgment
نویسندگان [English]
- hmyon mafi 1
- vahid Ahmadvand 2
1 Professor, Department of Private Law, Faculty of Law, University of Judicial Sciences, Tehran, Iran
2 Ph.D. student in Private Law, Faculty of Law, University of Judicial Sciences, Tehran, Iran
چکیده [English]
The growing number of traffic accidents in recent decades has significantly increased the number of individuals affected by such incidents, both as direct victims and as at-fault drivers. Traditional legal and insurance frameworks in Iran, as in many jurisdictions, have long excluded the at-fault driver from the scope of compensation, treating them as the culpable party rather than as a potential victim. From the standpoint of social and distributive justice, however, this exclusion appears illogical and inconsistent with the principles of equality and social solidarity. The central purpose of this study is to examine the legal foundation, scope, and limitations of the insurer’s liability for bodily injuries sustained by the at-fault driver under Iranian law. In particular, the research investigates whether the Law on Mandatory Insurance of Losses Incurred on Third Parties Resulting from Motor Vehicle Accidents (2016) effectively transformed the position of the at-fault driver from a liable party into a protected insured person within a collective compensation system.
Methodology:
This research adopts a qualitative and analytical-legal approach, employing both descriptive and doctrinal methods. First, it reviews the historical evolution of Iranian legislation concerning compulsory motor vehicle insurance and examines how the coverage of the at-fault driver has emerged within the broader framework of social protection law. Second, the study conducts a comparative analysis of relevant legal instruments, including paragraph (b) of Article 115 of the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan Act (2010), which first introduced the concept of insurance coverage for at-fault drivers. The research also explores the interpretive challenges posed by the 2016 Insurance Law, particularly concerning the meaning and limits of the insurer’s obligation: Judicial decisions issued by Iranian courts, especially appellate rulings interpreting Articles 3, 4, and 6 of the 2016 Act, are systematically analyzed to identify prevailing judicial trends. The methodology combines statutory interpretation, case law analysis, and theoretical reasoning to evaluate the extent of the insurer’s liability toward the at-fault driver. Additionally, the study employs principles of economic analysis of law to assess the broader social and financial implications of extending insurance coverage to at-fault drivers.
Findings:
The analysis reveals that the Iranian legislature has gradually shifted from a purely fault-based liability system to a more solidarity-oriented compensatory framework. Paragraph (b) of Article 115 of the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan Act (2010) was the first legal step toward recognizing the at-fault driver as a potential beneficiary of insurance protection. This policy was later solidified by the Law on Mandatory Insurance of 2016, which explicitly mandated that all motor vehicle insurance policies include personal accident coverage for the driver at fault.
However, judicial interpretation of the scope of this coverage has not been entirely consistent. Some courts have adopted a restrictive interpretation, limiting the insurer’s liability to the precise terms stipulated in the insurance policy, arguing that extending coverage beyond explicit contractual limits may destabilize the insurance market. Conversely, other courts have taken a broad and purposive approach, interpreting the law in light of its social protection objectives, thereby affirming the insurer’s liability even in cases of partial or contributory fault.
From the perspective of policy analysis, the inclusion of the at-fault driver within the framework of compulsory insurance serves multiple social and economic functions: it prevents uncompensated injuries, reduces reliance on public welfare resources, and enhances public trust in the insurance system. Nonetheless, such expansion also raises concerns regarding moral hazard, potential premium inflation, and the financial equilibrium of insurers.
Innovation and Contribution:
The innovative aspect of this study lies in its integrative analysis of statutory provisions, judicial rulings, and theoretical justifications related to the insurance coverage of at-fault drivers in Iran. Unlike prior research that has either focused solely on the doctrinal dimensions or on the economic rationale of insurance, this paper bridges both perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the insurer’s liability.
Furthermore, the study introduces a balanced interpretive model that reconciles social justice considerations with the economic sustainability of the insurance industry. It argues that the insurer’s liability should be neither strictly limited to contractual wording nor unboundedly expansive; instead, it must be interpreted in harmony with the social protection goals of the 2016 Insurance Law. This model contributes to ongoing debates in Iranian legal scholarship concerning the boundaries of social insurance and the role of private insurers in public welfare mechanisms.
Conclusion:
The research concludes that the inclusion of at-fault drivers within the scope of compulsory insurance reflects a paradigm shift in Iranian legal policy—from an individualistic, fault-based model toward a collective and solidarity-based system of risk distribution. The Law on Mandatory Insurance of 2016 aims to treat the at-fault driver as a secondary victim deserving of protection rather than exclusion. Nevertheless, the stability and effectiveness of this legal framework depend on adopting a measured interpretation of the insurer’s obligations—one that maintains the financial integrity of insurance institutions while ensuring comprehensive victim compensation.
In summary, the insurer’s liability for bodily injuries sustained by at-fault drivers should be interpreted in light of three guiding principles: (1) the principle of social solidarity, which supports collective risk sharing; (2) the principle of legal security, which requires predictable and stable insurance obligations; and (3) the principle of economic efficiency, which preserves the financial sustainability of the insurance system.
Through this balanced approach, Iranian law can achieve a fair equilibrium between justice for victims and the economic viability of insurers, thereby promoting a more coherent and humane system of compensation for all participants in road traffic accidents.
کلیدواژهها [English]
- driver
- at-fault driver
- damage
- insurer’s liability
)